California State University-Bakersfield
About
California State University, Bakersfield is a public university in Bakersfield, California, United States. It was established in 1965 as Kern State College and officially in 1968 as California State College Bakersfield on a 375-acre (152 ha) campus, becoming the 20th school in the California State University system. The university offers 39 different bachelor's degree programs, 17 master's degree programs, and a doctoral program in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.).
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 5.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 66 Title IV programs, 29 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 37 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing29 · 43.9%
- No Data37 · 56.1%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 4
Action history · 4
- May 2024Grant Substantive Change: ProgramWASC Senior College and University Commission
- Feb 2021Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Feb 2021Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
- Feb 2020Renewal of AccreditationWASC Senior College and University Commission
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 6,471 students received $37.3M in Pell grants, alongside $23.2M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 1,962 borrowers who entered repayment, 15 (0.7%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at CSUB
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 11
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus7
Includes 1 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
CSUB vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions CSUB selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCalifornia State University-Bakersfield | 50% | — | 10,419 | $5,825 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | 49% | 98.2% | 6,237 | $13,167 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University-Channel Islands | 51% | 94.8% | 5,592 | $9,792 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs |
California State University-Dominguez Hills | 43% | 93.3% | 15,182 | $3,659 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University-Monterey Bay | 59% | 97.4% | 7,713 | $14,487 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University-San Marcos | 55% | 95.1% | 16,237 | $10,550 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
California State University-Stanislaus | 53% | 98.1% | 9,724 | $5,671 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| Peer group median | 51% | 96.3% | 9,724 | $9,792 |
CSUB Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment uses official census data to provide an overview of the university and reflect commonly-requested facts and figures about the institution.
Visit IR office page- Dr. Monica MalhotraAssociate Vice President, IRPA / Chief Assessment Officer
- Leticia MarquezAdministrative Support Coordinator
- Dr. Maricela OrozcoSenior Research Analyst
- Irene LeeSenior Research Analyst
- Brittany BishopSenior Research Analyst
- Sravanthi GollamudiResearch Analyst
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardcsub.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planStrategic Plan 2025-2030California State University, Bakersfield is in the process of developing its Strategic Plan for the years 2025 to 2030. The plan aims to address the institution’s key strategic challenges and set comprehensive goals with measurable metrics to navigate future opportunities and obstacles. The Planning Process involves phases such as 'Sense Making', 'Align', and 'Clear Path Forward’ to ensure a robust framework for institutional growth and success.csub.edu
Grants & funding (2)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Notable alumni of CSUB (4)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Bryan AllenSports
- Dushyant ChautalaPolitics
- Kevin McCarthyPolitics
- Scott WilkPolitics
Frequently asked questions about California State University-Bakersfield
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about CSUB.
What is the graduation rate at California State University-Bakersfield?
How many students attend California State University-Bakersfield?
What is the average net price at California State University-Bakersfield?
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Where is California State University-Bakersfield located?
Who runs Institutional Research at California State University-Bakersfield?
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